Strut and clip assembly for stiffening a hanger rod

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a clip for use with a strut that at least partially surrounds a hanger rod for the purpose of providing stiffness to the hanger rod. The clip includes a handle portion, a rod-clamping portion, and a fulcrum spaced away from the handle portion. The fulcrum is for being mounted to the strut. The rod-clamping portion is for forcing the hanger rod into tight engagement with an engagement surface of the strut in response to the handle being actuated to an operational position. The present invention also relates to a hanger rod stiffening system that uses a clip and a strut, whereby a handle of the clip is actuated to force a rod-clamping portion of the clip into tight engagement with an internal surface of the strut.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/066,964 titled “Strut and Clip Assembly ForStiffening a Hanger Rod,” filed Oct. 22, 2014, which is incorporatedherein by reference in its respective entirety.

COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patentdisclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patentfiles or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rightswhatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to hanger rods used in buildingconstruction. Specifically, it relates to an assembly that uses amanually actuated clip to stiffen a hanger rod.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A hanger rod is part of a hanger assembly wherein one end of a threadedrod is vertically attached to the building structure, such as a concreteslab or a wood or steel beam. The other end has an attachment mechanismsuch as a yoke with a supporting structure, which is used to supportbuilding components (e.g., water pipes, HVAC ducts, cables, andelectrical conduits) at a position relative to the concrete slab orbeam. While hanger rods can be provided in any diameter, the typicalsize is either ⅜, ½, ⅝, ¾, ⅞, 1 or 1¼ inches, depending on the structurethat is to be supported. The lengths can be selected as needed for theparticular construction project. Generally, a hanger rod is less thanabout 120 inches in length.

While these hanger rods are strong enough to support the variousbuilding components attached thereto, various assemblies and methodshave been proposed to strengthen the hanger rod against deformation dueto unusual stresses that may be experienced within the building, such asmovement associated with an earthquake. Some devices make use of astiffening member, such as a channel strut, angle iron, or pipe that ispositioned substantially parallel to the hanger rod. One type ofconnection between the stiffening member and the hanger rod can beprovided by welding the member to the rod, which is extremelytime-consuming and not practical due to the expense involved. In anothertype of connection, the stiffening member and the hanger rod areconnected in their parallel arrangement by a series of clamping devicesby use of several manually driven fasteners, such as screws. Again,connection via fasteners can be a time-consuming process.

To keep installation costs down, there is a continuing need forstiffening assemblies for hanger rods that are simple to use, easy tomake, and require minimal manual effort for installation. The presentinvention helps to satisfy this market need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention is a stiffening system for a hangerrod. The stiffening system includes a strut and a clip. The strut atleast partially surrounds the hanger rod and extends along a length ofthe hanger rod. The strut includes an internal engagement surfaceadjacent to the hanger rod, and also a pivot region. The clip has ahandle portion, a rod-clamping portion, and a fulcrum spaced away fromthe handle portion. The fulcrum pivotably engages the pivot region ofthe strut. The rod-clamping portion forces the hanger rod into tightengagement with the internal engagement surface of the strut in responseto a pivoting movement about the fulcrum caused by the handle beingactuated to an operational position.

In another aspect, the present invention is a clip for use with a strutthat at least partially surrounds a hanger rod for the purpose ofproviding stiffness to the hanger rod. The clip includes a handleportion, a rod-clamping portion, and a fulcrum spaced away from thehandle portion. The fulcrum is for pivotable engagement within thestrut. The rod-clamping portion is for forcing the hanger rod into tightengagement with an engagement surface of the strut in response to thehandle being actuated to an operational position.

In other aspect, the present invention is a clip for use with a strutthat at least partially surrounds a hanger rod for providing stiffnessto the hanger rod. The clip comprises a handle portion, a rod-clampingportion, and a fulcrum for being rotatably engaged within a pivot regionof the strut. The rod-clamping portion forces the hanger rod into tightengagement with an engagement surface of the strut in response to thehandle portion being moved to an operational position as the cliprotates around the fulcrum.

In other aspects, the present invention also involves methods for usinga clip in conjunction with a strut that at least partially surrounds ahanger rod. Within the methods, a handle of the clip is actuatable bythe user to wedge a rod-clamping portion of the clip between the hangerrod and the internal surface of the strut. Alternatively, the method mayinclude actuating a handle of the clip by the user to sandwich thehanger rod between a rod-clamping portion of the clip and an internalrod-engaging surface of the strut.

The invention is also a method of stiffening a hanger rod, comprising(i) inserting the hanger rod into an elongated opening of a strut, (ii)inserting a rod-clamping portion of a clip into the elongated opening ofthe strut, (iii) moving a handle portion of the clip located external tothe strut so as to engage a fulcrum of the clip against an internalsurface of the strut, and (iv) rotating the handle portion of the cliptoward the strut while the fulcrum is engaged against the internalsurface of the strut to wedge the rod-clamping portion between thehanger rod and the internal surface of the strut.

In a further aspect, the invention is a method of stiffening a hangerrod, comprising, (i) inserting the hanger rod into an elongated openingof a strut, (ii) inserting a rod-clamping portion of a clip into theelongated opening of the strut, (iii) moving a handle portion of theclip located external to the strut so as to engage a fulcrum of the clipagainst an internal surface of the strut, (iv) rotating the handleportion of the clip toward the strut while the fulcrum is engagedagainst the internal surface of the strut to sandwich the hanger rodbetween the rod-clamping portion and an internal rod-engaging surface ofthe strut.

In yet another aspect, the present invention is a method of stiffening ahanger rod, comprising, (i) inserting the hanger rod into an elongatedopening of a strut, (ii) inserting a rod-clamping portion of a clip intothe elongated opening of the strut, and (iii) actuating a handle portionof the clip located external to the strut to sandwich the hanger rodbetween the rod-clamping portion and an internal rod-engaging surface ofthe strut.

Alternatively, the present invention is A method of stiffening a hangerrod, comprising, (i) inserting the hanger rod into an elongated openingof a strut, (ii) inserting a rod-clamping portion of a clip into theelongated opening of the strut, and (iii) actuating a handle portion ofthe clip located external to the strut to wedge the rod-clamping portionbetween the hanger rod and the internal surface of the strut.

In a further aspect, the invention is a method of stiffening a hangerrod, comprising, (i) inserting the hanger rod into an elongated openingof a strut, (ii) inserting a plurality of clips into the elongatedopening of the strut, each of the plurality of clones being spaced awayfrom each other, and (iii) actuating handle portions of each of theplurality of clips to clamp the hanger rod against an internal surfaceof the strut.

Additional aspects of the invention will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of variousembodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a briefdescription of which is provided below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a top view of a clip and strut assembly for stiffening ahanger rod according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a side cross-sectional view of the clip and strut assembly ofFIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is a top view of a clip and strut assembly for stiffening ahanger rod according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a side cross-sectional view of the clip and strut assembly ofFIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A is a top view of a clip and strut assembly for stiffening ahanger rod according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a side cross-sectional view of the clip and strut assembly ofFIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a front view of a clip for stiffening a hanger rod accordingto a further embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4B is a top view of the clip of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C is a side view of the clip of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view of the clip taken along line 4D-4D ofFIG. 4C.

FIG. 4E is a side cross-sectional view of the clip of FIG. 4A takenalong a center line of the clip.

FIG. 4F is a first perspective view of the clip of FIGS. 4A-4E.

FIG. 4G is a second perspective view of the clip of FIGS. 4A-4E.

FIG. 5 illustrates a hanger rod within the strut.

FIG. 6 illustrates the hanger rod of FIG. 5 being secured to strut byuse of the clip of FIGS. 4A-4G.

FIG. 7A is a top view of a clip and strut assembly for stiffening twosizes of hanger rods according to yet a further embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7B is an alternative top view of the clip and strut assembly ofFIG. 7A.

FIG. 7C is a side cross-sectional view of the clip and strut assembly ofFIGS. 7A-7B.

FIG. 8 is a stamped piece of metal that can be formed into the clipillustrated in FIGS. 7A-7C.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a clip for stiffening a hanger rodaccording to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9B is a second perspective view of the clip of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9C is an end view of the clip of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 10A is a top view of the clip of FIG. 9 that is assembled in thestrut, and used with a first hanger rod size.

FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the clip and strut assembly of FIG.10A.

FIG. 10C is a side cross-sectional view of the clip and strut assemblyof FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10D is another top view of the clip of FIG. 9 that is assembled inthe strut, and used with a second hanger rod size relative to the hangerrod size in FIGS. 10A-10C.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. Itshould be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to belimited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understandingthat the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification ofthe principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broadaspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. For purposes ofthe present detailed description, the singular includes the plural andvice versa (unless specifically disclaimed); the words “and” and “or”shall be both conjunctive and disjunctive; the word “all” means “any andall”; the word “any” means “any and all”; and the word “including” means“including without limitation.”

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a hanger rod 10 is located within anelongated channel-type strut 20 that has an opening for receiving thehanger rod 10. The hanger rod 10 is typically part of a hanger assemblysuch that one end of the hanger rod 10 is vertically attached to abuilding structure (e.g., a concrete slab or a beam) and a connectingmember is threadably coupled to the hanger rod 10 for supporting anadditional building component, such as a water pipe. The strut 20 has afirst wall 22, a second wall 24, and a third wall 26. The opening on thestrut 20 that initially receives the hanger rod 10 is opposing thesecond wall 24. The second wall 24 includes an internal rod-engagementsurface against which the hanger rod 10 is clamped by a clip 30. Oneither side of and adjacent to the opening in the strut 20, the strut 20includes a pair of clip-engagement surfaces 28 that act as the strut'spivot region for a fulcrum portion of the clip 30, as described in moredetail below. Accordingly, the hanger rod 10 is at least partiallysurrounded by the channel-type strut 20.

The clip 30 includes a rod-clamping portion 32 that is located withinthe strut 20 and a handle portion 34 that is located external to thestrut 20. The rod-clamping portion 32 is in a transverse orientation(e.g., generally perpendicular in the illustrated embodiments) relativeto the handle portion 34, such that the clip 30 has generally anL-shaped configuration. The rod-clamping portion 32 includes anengagement surface 36 that is moved into position against and engagesthe hanger rod 10. The clip 30 also includes a fulcrum portion 38 thatengages the pair of clip-engaging surfaces 28 located on the strut 20.As shown in FIG. 1A, the fulcrum portion 38 is part of the surface onthe rod-clamping portion 32 that opposes the rod-engagement surface 36.The fulcrum portion 38 can also be located at other regions of the clip30 that are spaced away from the manually actuatable handle portion 34and, thus, can be outside the rod-clamping portion 32.

FIG. 1B illustrates two clips 30 a and 30 b into different positions onthe strut 20. In particular, the lower clip 30 a is in the “open”position, where it has been initially inserted into the strut 20 bymanual operation from the user. When the clip 30 is in the openposition, the clip 30 is moveable within the strut 20 along a length ofthe hanger rod 10 so that its final location on the hanger rod 10 can beselected by the user. In the open position, the handle portion 34 of thelower clip 30 a extends away from the strut 20 as the rod-clampingportion 32 is inserted into the opening of the strut 20. The engagementsurface 36 is located away from the hanger rod 10 when the clip 30 a isoriented in the open position. As shown by the arrow “R” in FIG. 1A, thelower clip 30 a pivots around the fulcrum portion 38, which itself isengaged against the clip engaging surfaces 28 of the strut 20, as amanual force is placed on the handle portion 34. The rotational movementcauses the engagement surface 36 to move towards the hanger rod 10.

The upper clip 30 b is in the “closed” or operational position as itshandle portion 34 has been fully rotated towards the strut 20. Therotational movement of the clip 30 b causes the engagement surface 36 tobe forced against the hanger rod 10, such that the hanger rod 10 isclamped (sandwiched) between the engagement surface 36 of therod-clamping portion 32 and an internal surface on the second wall 24 ofthe strut 20. In other words, the rotational movement of the handleportion 34 of the clip 30 b causes the rod-clamping portion 32 of theclip 30 to be wedged between the internal surface 28 of the strut 20(which is engaging the fulcrum 38 of the clip) and the hanger rod 10.When in the closed position, the assembly of the strut 20 and the clip30 functions to stiffen the hanger rod 10 and resist buckling undercompression forces, which may result from building movements caused byvibrations or earthquakes.

The present invention contemplates placing multiple clips 30 along thelength of a single hanger rod 10, such that the clips 30 are generallyspaced apart by a distance that is calculated in accordance withaccepted engineering practice to provide the required resistance tobuckling of the hanger rod 10 under a calculated compression loading,such as that experienced in earthquakes, by bracing the hanger rod 10with the clips 30. Generally, the accepted engineering practice is touse the American Institute of Steel Construction buckling formula, Kl/r,where K is a variable representing the buckled shape of the hanger rod10, l is the maximum spacing between clips 30, and r is the least radiusof gyration of the hanger rod 10.

The strut 20 is typically a standard, commonly used strut for buildingconstruction. For example, one common strut 20 has cross-sectionaldimensions of 1⅝ inches by 1⅝ inches. Because of the desire to wedge therod-clamping portion 32 of the clip 30 between the internal surface 28of the strut 20 and the rod 10, the dimensions of the rod-clampingportion 32 of the clip 30 and the location of the fulcrum 38 aredependent on the strut 20 to which the clamp 30 is to be assembled.

Turning now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the hanger rod 10 and the channel-typestrut 20 are shown relative to a different embodiment of a clip 130. Itshould be noted that structures and function of the clip 130 are similarto the general structures and functions of the clip 30 in FIGS. 1A and1B (except for the differences noted below), and that 100-seriesreference numerals have been used in FIGS. 2A and 2B to delineate thosesimilar structures (e.g., the handle portion 134 in the clip 130 inFIGS. 2A-2B is similar to the handle portion 34 in the clip 30 in FIGS.1A-1B, etc.). In this embodiment, the engagement surface 136 of therod-clamping portion 132 is located within a groove 137. While thegroove 137 can have various shapes, the groove 137 is sized to receive acertain size of hanger rod 10 to provide some lateral frictionalresistance when the clip 130 is in the closed position. In other words,the groove 137 receives a portion of the hanger rod 10 such that thereare regions of the rod-clamping portion 132 located on either side ofthe hanger rod 10. The present invention contemplates having differentclips 130 with different sized grooves 137 that can receive differentdiameters of hanger rods 10. For example, one size groove 137 on a firstclip 130 may be useful for a few different diameters of hanger rods 10.And a second size groove 137 on a second clip 130 may be useful forother diameters of hanger rods 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the hanger rod 10 and the channel-typestrut 20 are shown relative to a different embodiment of a clip 230. Itshould be noted that structures and function of the clip 230 are similarto the general structures and functions of the clip 30 in FIGS. 1A and1B (except for the differences noted below), and that 200-seriesreference numerals have been used in FIGS. 3A and 3B to delineatesimilar structures (e.g., the handle portion 234 in the clip 230 inFIGS. 3A-3B is similar to the handle portion 34 in the clip 30 in FIGS.1A-1B, etc.). In this embodiment, the clip 230 includes a smallerrod-clamping portion 232 that has a curved shape when viewed from theside, as shown in FIG. 3B. However, the rod-clamping portion 232 isstill generally transverse to the handle portion 234. The fulcrumportion is located on a pair of rounded protrusions 238 that extendoutwardly from the rod-clamping portion 232. Another difference is thatthe groove 237 on the rod-clamping portion 232 defines a curvedrod-engagement surface 236. The radius of curvature of at least aportion of the curved rod-engaging surface of the groove 237 isapproximately the same as a radius of curvature of the hanger rod 10.Due to the combination of the curved shape of the rod-clamping portion232 and the curved rod-engagement surface 236 within the groove 237, therod-clamping portion 232 slides upwardly along the hanger rod 10 as thehandle portion 234 is rotated downwardly to the closed or operationalposition, such that different portions of the rod-engagement surface 236come into engagement with the hanger rod 10 before the clip 230 reachesits final closed position.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A-4G, a different embodiment of a clip 330 forstiffening a hanger rod 10 is shown. It should be noted that structuresand function of the clip 330 are similar to the general structures andfunction of the clip 30 in FIGS. 1A and 1B (except for the differencesnoted below), and that 300-series reference numerals have been used inFIGS. 4A-4G to delineate similar structures (e.g., the handle portion334 in the clip 330 in FIGS. 4A-4G is similar to the handle portion 34in the clip 30 in FIGS. 1A-1B, etc.). The rod-clamping portion 332includes a groove 337 with a slightly concave, rounded engagementsurface 336 for engaging the hanger rod 10. The fulcrum is located onsurfaces of a pair of wing-shaped projections 338 extending outwardlyfrom the rod-clamping portion 332, as shown best in the cross-sectionalview in FIG. 4D, which is taken along line 4D-4D in FIG. 4C. Like theclip 230 of FIGS. 3A-3B, the rod-clamping portion 332 of the clip 330has a rounded profile, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4E,which is taken along the centerline of the clip 330. The handle portion334 becomes wider to provide a larger surface for receiving a manualforce from the user to actuate the clip 330 and move the clip 330 intoits operational or closed position whereby it clamps the hanger rod 10against an inner surface of the second wall 24 of the strut 20. The clip330 can be formed by various processes, such as casting.

FIGS. 5-6 illustrate the clip 330 of FIGS. 4A-4G in use on an exemplaryhanger rod 10 located within an exemplary channel-type strut 20. FIG. 5illustrates the hanger rod 10 positioned against a rear internal surfaceof the strut 20. FIG. 6 illustrates the clip 330 in its operationalposition after the handle 334 has been moved downwardly against thestrut 20. When the rotational movement of the handle 334 toward thestrut 20 occurs, the clip 330 pivots around the fulcrum on theprojections 338 (which are engaging internal surfaces of the strut 10adjacent to the elongated opening of the strut 20), causing the roundedrod-engagement surface 336 to be force the hanger rod 10 against therear internal surface of the strut 20.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A-7C, another embodiment of a clip 430 forstiffening a hanger rod 10 is shown. It should be noted that structuresand function of the clip 430 are similar to the general structures andfunction of the clip 30 in FIGS. 1A and 1B (except for the differencesnoted below), and that 400-series reference numerals have been used inFIGS. 7A-7C to delineate similar structures (e.g., the handle portion434 in clip 430 in FIGS. 7A-7C is similar to the handle portion 34 inthe clip 30 in FIGS. 1A-1B, etc.). The clip 430 is somewhat asymmetricin that there are two different rod-engagement surfaces 436 a and 436 bhaving different sizes. The first rod-engagement surface 436 a isconfigured to engage a first size of hanger rod 10 a (FIG. 7A) such as a½ inch diameter hanger rod, while the second rod-engagement surface 436b is configured to engage a second size of hanger rod 10 b (FIG. 7B)such as ⅜ inch diameter hanger rod. As can be seen in FIGS. 7A and 7B,the first rod-engagement surface 436 a clamps the hanger rod 10 a in anupper corner defined by two internal surfaces of the strut 20, while thesecond rod-engagement surface 436 b clamps the hanger rod 10 b in alower corner defined by two internal surfaces of the strut 20.Accordingly, the present invention also contemplates a single clip andstrut assembly for independently stiffening multiple sizes of hangerrods by clamping those hanger rods at different locations within thestrut 20. Thus, the clip 430 presents more of a modular design.

Additionally, the clip 430 includes a pair of registration tabs 439 nearthe pair of fulcrum portions 438. The pair of registration tabs 439 isfor the purpose of maintaining the clip 430 in proper alignment andregistration with the elongated opening of the strut 20. Each of theregistration tabs 439 engages a corresponding surface that defines theopening of the strut 20 to help maintain the clip 430 in the properhorizontal orientation during insertion into the vertically orientedstrut 20. The registration tabs 439 also maintain the proper orientationof the clip 430 during actuation of the handle 434 to transition theclip 430 into the closed position.

FIG. 8 illustrates one method that the clip 430 can be manufactured.Specifically, the clip 430 can be stamped from a piece of steel, andthen bent into the final configuration that is shown in FIGS. 7A-7C. Asone example, the clip 430 can be stamped from a flat piece of AISI 1008or AISI 1010 zinc-plated steel having a thickness of between 0.15 and0.25 inch. Each of the rod-engagement surfaces 436 a and 436 b can beformed by bending elongated tabs that extend outwardly from the mainbody of the rod-clamping portion 432. Similarly, the pair ofregistration tabs 439 can be bent from the clip 430 at regions that areadjacent to the rod-clamping portion 432. To create the transverseorientation between the handle 434 and the rod-clamping portion 432, theclip 430 can be bent around a primary bend line BL to an angle that issufficient to allow the clip 430 to function in a manner that causes thehanger rod 10 to be forced into the corners of the strut 20, as shown inFIGS. 7A-7C.

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate a clip 530 according to an embodiment of thepresent invention that is used for stiffening multiple sizes of hangerrods 10. It should be noted that structures and function of the clip 530are similar to the general structures and function of the clip 30 inFIGS. 1A and 1B (except for the differences noted below), and that500-series reference numerals have been used in FIGS. 9A-9C to delineatesimilar structures (e.g., the handle portion 534 in clip 530 in FIGS.9A-9C is similar to the handle portion 34 in the clip 30 in FIGS. 1A-1B,the fulcrum portion 538 in clip 530 in FIGS. 9A-9C is similar to thefulcrum portion 38 in the clip 30 in FIGS. 1A-1B, etc.). The clip 530 isasymmetric in that there are two different rod-engagement surfaces 536 aand 536 b for engaging rods of different sizes, as will described belowrelative to FIGS. 10A-10D.

Additionally, the handle portion 534 of the clip 530 includes a lockingportion 540 with a pair of latching fingers 542. The handle portion 534is split into two sections via an elongated notch 544 that separates thepair of latching fingers 540. The elongated notch 544 is positionedalong the central axis of the handle portion 534 so as to allow thelatching fingers 540 to spring inwardly during insertion into the strut,which is shown in FIG. 10 below. The latching fingers 540 engage aninner surface of the strut 20 to help retain the clip 530 within thestrut 20 as the clip 530 holds the hanger rod. Although not shown, thelocking portion 540 may further include one or more holes that permitinsertion of a tool (e.g., a screwdriver) that can twist the latchingfingers 542 inwardly and overcome the spring force of the two sectionsof the handle portion 540 during removal of the clip 530 from the strut20. The dimensions (width and length) of the elongated notch 544 arechosen to optimize the spring force associated with the handle portion540.

As shown in FIGS. 10A-10C, the first rod-engagement surface 536 a isconfigured to engage a first size of hanger rod 10 a, such as a ½ inchdiameter hanger rod. As can be seen best in FIG. 10A, the firstrod-engagement surface 536 a clamps the hanger rod 10 a in a firstcorner defined by two internal surfaces of the strut 20. On the otherhand, as show in FIG. 10D, in an alternative use, the secondrod-engagement surface 536 b clamps the smaller hanger rod 10 b (e.g. ¼inch diameter hanger rod) in a second corner defined by two internalsurfaces of the strut 20. Like the clip 430 of FIG. 7, the clip 530presents more of a modular design, allowing for a single clip and strutassembly to independently stiffen multiple sizes of hanger rods byclamping those hanger rods at different locations within the strut 20.

FIGS. 10A-10D also illustrate the locking portion 540 of the clip 530 inuse. During assembly, the pair of latching fingers 542 engage the innerwalls of the strut 20 and are forced toward each other as the handleportion 534 is moved downwardly into the operational position. Thedimensions of the clip 530 are chosen such that the handle portion 432is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the strut 20 asthe latching fingers 542 clear the space of the inner walls of the strut20 and resiliently snap outwardly to help lock the clip 530 in placealong the strut 20. At this point, one of the engaging surfaces 536 a or536 b is forcing the hanger rod 10A or 10B into tight engagement withthe corners of the strut 20 and the final assembly process is complete.The locking portion 540 can also be applied to any of the designs of theprevious clips described relative to FIGS. 1-8.

Each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is contemplatedas falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, whichis set forth in the following claims. Moreover, the present conceptsexpressly include any and all combinations and subcombinations of thepreceding elements and aspects.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A stiffening system for a hanger rod,comprising: a strut that at least partially surrounds the hanger rod andextends along a length of the hanger rod, the strut including aninternal engagement surface adjacent to the hanger rod, the strutfurther including a pivot region; and a clip having a handle portion, arod-clamping portion, and a fulcrum spaced away from the handle portion,the fulcrum being pivotably engaged in the pivot region of the strut,the rod-clamping portion forcing the hanger rod into tight engagementwith the internal engagement surface of the strut in response to apivoting movement about the fulcrum caused by the handle being actuatedto an operational position.
 2. The hanger-rod stiffening system of claim1, wherein the rod-clamping portion includes a groove for receiving thehanger rod.
 3. The hanger-rod stiffening system of claim 2, wherein therod-clamping portion has a curved engagement surface, the hanger rodmoving across the curved engagement surface as the handle is actuated tothe operational position, the groove defining the curved engagementsurface.
 4. The hanger-rod stiffening system of claim 1, wherein a bodyof the clip has a configuration that is generally in an L-shape, thehandle portion being transverse to the rod-clamping portion.
 5. Thehanger-rod stiffening system of claim 1, wherein the fulcrum is locatedwithin the rod-clamping portion.
 6. The hanger-rod stiffening system ofclaim 1, wherein the fulcrum is defined by first and second protrudingsurfaces extending away from each other, the first and second protrudingsurfaces engaging the pivot region of the strut.
 7. The hanger-rodstiffening system of claim 1, wherein the actuation of the handle to theoperational position causes the rod-clamping portion to be wedgedbetween the hanger rod and the pivot region of the strut.
 8. Thehanger-rod stiffening system of claim 1, wherein the handle extends awayfrom the strut in an insertion position when the clip is initiallyinserted into the strut.
 9. The hanger-rod stiffening system of claim 8,wherein, in response to manual force on the handle, the handle is movedfrom the insertion position to the operational position that forces thehanger rod into tight engagement with the internal engagement surface ofthe strut.
 10. The hanger-rod stiffening system of claim 1, wherein theclip further includes latching fingers to engage inner surfaces of thestrut after the handle is actuated to the operational position.
 11. Thehanger-rod stiffening system of claim 1, wherein the latching fingersmove toward each other as the handle is moved toward the operationalposition, the latching fingers resiliently spring outwardly onto theinner surfaces of the strut in response to the handle reaching theoperational position.
 12. The hanger-rod stiffening system of claim 1,wherein the rod-clamping portion includes a plurality of rod-engagingsurfaces, the plurality of rod-engaging surfaces being selectivelyuseful in providing tight engagement to multiple sizes of hanger rodswithin the strut.